I don't *like* writing posts about being annoyed...

[av8rmike]

..but lately, it seems everything and everyone is annoying me. For instance:

Is it just me, or are people getting meaner/snarkier by the day? In just the last few days, several people have said things to me that makes me think they thought they were just joking around, but taken out of context, sound really hurtful. Or am I overreacting, because "throw yourself out a window" is the new catchphrase?

Here's a question for bibliocat and danceswithcats1: When the firetrucks are trying to get out of the station, why am I always that one guy who can't get out of the way because of the traffic in front of me, yet the drivers still lay on that siren?

Comments

[bibliocat.livejournal.com]

They're probably laying on the siren to make the lead 'in the way' guy wake up and move.
I ran a priority patient yesterday and came up on an intersection full of traffic. I laid on the horn and traffic neatly parted (just like in Bruce Almighty!) except for one car in front and the car behind him (who was freaking out) who had nowhere to go. The lead car finally woke up/hung up the phone/stopped eating/pulled his head out of his ass and pulled forward and to the side, the second car moved over and I got through.

[sheepi83.livejournal.com]

Eh, it wasn't you holding things up... probably some dumbass who freaked out at the sight of flashing lights and the sound of sirens and froze and didn't move or others could move too.

The one day I was responding to a call for a car crash on a highway during rush hour and the on-ramp to the highway was just CLOGGED with cars. Rich, my partner, was laying on the horn flashing the lights and running the siren, but people would just not move! There was plenty of room on both sides of the on ramp because it was straight and had 2 shoulders. Everyone, well most everyone, moved their cars to the right shoulder.

There was one moron at the top of the line and he actually turned around and came back the on-ramp going the wrong direction and stopped in the middle of the on-ramp. Sorry Mr. Dumbass, but my ambulance trumps your minivan. Please move it. He kept making rude gestures at us making like we had enough room to get by him. Yea, no. I think we know our size of our vehicle better than you do. We kept waving at him and gesturing at him to move off of the on-ramp. It was like, I know you see me! If I'm telling you to move, MOVE! There's plenty of room for you to go the wrong way! After about 10 minutes, he finally continued driving the wrong way and we had enough room to get through.

Luckily the kid who rolled his car and completely wrecked it was up and walking and completely fine, aside from the attitude about treating his car nicely. Seriously, who gives a 17 year old a brand new Mustang? That's a whole 'nother story...

[danceswithcats1.livejournal.com]

Department standards also have a bearing. One FD for which I was a driver/operator gave me control of audible warnings, such that I wouldn't deafen people. Personally, I believe that less is more, and will give a tap to the air horns, or a brief application of warble on the electronic siren, until I feel that all traffic is aware of my presence.

Another gave audible warning duties to the officer seat, and there were guys who had to be told to knock it the F off.

The tough point is the 5 way intersections where nobody gives a shit about their fellow motorist, let alone my ladder truck. Between their cellphone, ipod, everything else usage, electronic siren, Q2B, air horns, and enough lights to fry chicken at ten paces, I'm still invisible.

That being said, if no one has a place to go, which sometimes occurs, I won't insult motorists by making noise which will have no good outcome. That's the time to tell County that I'm stuck in traffic, and advise to dispatch second due replacement.

[av8rmike.livejournal.com]

I love it when you talk dirty to me.

[tidesong.livejournal.com]

;)

[tmpiper.livejournal.com]

We have a mutual friend in tidesong and I've added you to my list of friends. I hope you don't mind.

[av8rmike.livejournal.com]

She's everyone's friend.